Frankenweenie' brings out the best in filmmaker Tim Burton

An expansion of the delightful 1984 stop-motion animated short Tim Burton made while working at Disney, “Frankenweenie” (2012, Disney, PG, $30) brings out the best in the visionary filmmaker. At the center of the action is the young Victor (Charlie Tahan), a brainy boy scientist who is so sad about the death of his dog Sparky that he finds a way to re-animate the pooch.

As good in its own way as Burton’s other cartoon treats — “Corpse Bride” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas”—“Frankenweenie” benefits from killer cameos by Martin Landau, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short and Winona Ryder. Extras: featurettes and a new short about Sparky.

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“Dredd” (2012, Lionsgate, R, $30) As envisioned by filmmaker Pete Travis (“Vantage Point”), the future is a scary place overrun by gangs and ruthless crime lords like Ma-Ma (Lena Headey from “Game of Thrones”), a former prostitute who has an entire city tripping out on her Slo-Mo drug. When ultimate law enforcer Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) and his new partner (Olivia Thrilby) try to crack down, Ma-Ma traps them in a housing project where she invites the inhabitants to finish them off. Running a sleek 96 minutes, this comic book-inspired adventure might feel overly familiar if Urban, Thirlby and Headey didn’t invest themselves so fully in their characters and if Travis didn’t have such a flair for action. Extras: featurettes.

“Compliance” (2012, Magnolia, R, $27) Keep a keen eye on veteran character actress Ann Dowd. With a hint of quiet desperation, she plays the over-worked manager of a fast-food joint who’s talked into interrogating a cashier (Dreama Walker) whom the police suspect is guilty of theft. Based on a true story, this tense, engrossing thriller grows in force as it goes along. It’s not always easy to sit through but “Compliance” will get under your skin. Extras: featurette.

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“Stolen” (2012, Millennium, R, $30) Newly released from prison, a master thief (Nicolas Cage) finds himself in a tough situation when his former partner (Josh Lucas) kidnaps his daughter (Sami Gayle) and demands $10 million in ransom money. Cage spends most of the movie racing around New Orleans trying to track down Lucas while also attempting to stay one step ahead of a fedora-wearing FBI agent (Danny Huston). Essentially a re-write of “Taken,” this Simon West-directed vehicle unleashes a few decent action scenes but it never delivers much of a kick. Extras: featurette and interviews.

“House At The End Of The Street” (2012, Fox, PG-13, $30) Elisabeth Shue and Jennifer Lawrence star as a mother and daughter who take up residence next to a home where, a few years earlier, a young woman murdered her parents. In no time, Lawrence is palling around with the sole survivor of the killings - the couple’s polite, introverted son (Max Thieriot). While the film won’t haunt your nightmares, it does supply a steady stream of cheap thrills and jump-out-of-your-seat scares. Extras: featurette.

“Jack and Diane” (2012, Magnolia, R, $27) Falling in love can turn you into a monster, eager to suck the lifeforce out of your beloved. That seems to be the thesis of this instantly forgettable romance about a twentysomething lesbian named Jack (Elvis Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough) who falls hard for Diane (Juno Temple), a British teen visiting New York for the summer. The love story lacks heat which might be why writer/director Bradley Rust Gray keeps cutting away to gooey, werewolf-esque creatures. It’s even sillier than it sounds. Extras: featurettes.

“Now Is Good” (2012, Sony, PG-13, $30) Whatever Dakota Fanning got paid for this movie, it wasn’t enough because she almost single-handedly turns this cancer drama into something worth seeing. Fanning, with a flawless British accent, plays a fatally ill teenager from Brighton who’s trying to cram a lot of living into her last few months. She shoplifts, learns to drive and falls in love with her hunky neighbor (Jeremy Irvine). You keep hoping the movie won’t sink into melodrama but it does. What keeps it watchable is Fanning’s pitch-perfect performance. Extras: deleted scenes and featurettes.

“Samsara” (2012, MPI, PG-13, $30) Shot over the course of five years in 100 different locations, the latest from Ron Fricke (“Baraka”) is a vibrant collection of images. There’s volcanos, temples, rivers, oceans, freeways and forests. Irritatingly, Fricke refuses to tell you exactly what you’re looking at. It’s fine to be reminded about “the ever turning wheel of life,” but “Samsara” would have been a much more pleasurable experience if you could put a name with the pretty pictures. Extras: featurettes.

“Game Change”(2012, HBO, unrated, $20) As riveting as political thrillers get, this fact-based docudrama chronicles Sarah Palin’s (Julianne Moore) tumultuous 2008 run for vice president. At the center of the storm are veteran campaign advisors (Woody Harrelson, Peter MacNicol, Jamey Sheridan) for John McCain (Ed Harris) who champion Palin without properly vetting her. They get the shock of a lifetime when she reveals her lack of knowledge and experience. “Game Change” will make you laugh. But it will also send a chill down your spine as you realize how close this unprepared candidate got to the Oval Office. Extras: featurettes.

“American Masters: Inventing David Geffen” (2012, PBS, unrated, $25) While there’s segments about the founding of DreamWorks and Geffen’s contributions to the fight against AIDS, it’s the dealmaker’s days as a talent scout and record exec that get the most attention in this doc. Geffen discusses how he steered the careers of everyone from Laura Nyro and Neil Young to the Eagles. He also talks about his work on movies like “Risky Business,” his embarrassment when Joni Mitchell wrote a song about him, and how his 18-month romance with Cher ended when she dumped him for Gregg Allman. Fascinating. Extras: 25 minutes of bonus interviews.

“Smash: Season One” (2012, Universal, unrated, $60) Broadway nuts will want to stand up and cheer for this addictive series about the mounting of a musical about Marilyn Monroe. “American Idol” veteran Katherine McPhee and “Wicked’s” Megan Hilty are both in the running to play the title role but there’s plenty of twists and turns along the way. What works: all of the backstage drama, especially the scenes involving rehearsals, callbacks and workshops. What doesn’t work: some of the subplots, including the ones involving McPhee’s politician boyfriend and Debra Messing’s struggles to adopt. Extras: gag reel, featurettes, deleted scenes and extended musical numbers.

“Englightened: The Complete First Season” (2012, HBO, unrated, $40) When we first meet Amy (Laura Dern), she’s undergoing a total meltdown. She’s just lost her job and her affair with her married boss has ended badly. But after a stay at a pricey spiritual retreat, Amy is determined to turn over a new leaf, especially in regards to her mother (Diane Ladd) and her coke-addict ex-husband (Luke Wilson). She’s rehired by her company but forced into a demeaning job alongside other screw-ups (including series co-creator Mike White). “Enlightened” expertly seesaws between comedy and tragedy while providing the fearless Dern with a raw wound of a role. Extras: commentaries and featurettes.

“Dallas: The Complete First Season”(2012, Warner, unrated, $40) Most of the action is centered on the next generation of Ewing brothers (Josh Henderson, Jesse Metcalfe) as they face-off about the future of Southfork and battle over a beauty (Jordana Brewster) they both love. But “Dallas” is at its best when the old-timers are center stage, especially J.R. (the late Larry Hagman), Bobby (Patrick Duffy) and Sue Ellen (Linda Gray). Extras: featurettes, deleted scenes and commentaries.

“The Jazz Singer”(1927, Warner, unrated, $35) The first talkie goes hi-def to help Warner Bros. kick off its 90th Birthday celebration. Al Jolson stars as a cantor’s son who must defy his rabbi father in order to pursue a career in show-biz. Sure, it’s cornball but Jolson is a knockout both when he sings and when he drops an adlib or two. For its Blu-ray bow, “The Jazz Singer” has been newly remastered and restored. You ain’t seen nothing like this! Extras: commentaries, feature-length doc, footage from rare talkies and nearly four hours’ worth of Vitaphone comedy and music shorts.

Amy Longsdorf is a freelance entertainment writer. Her DVD reviews appear Sunday in The Mercury.

About the Author

Amy Longsdorf is a freelance writer who got hooked on movies after catching "The Godfather" on the big screen. She is a weekly contributor to The Mercury's Sunday Living Section writing entertainment features and DVD reviews. She graduated from Cedar Crest College in Allentown with a degree in communications and has written for People Magazine, The New york Daily News, The Toronto Star, Philadelphia Weekly and The Camden Courier Post. She contributed to "Videohound's Groovy Movies:Far Out Films of the Psychedelic Era." Reach the author at movieamy@aol.com
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